Cigarette packaging apparatus

ABSTRACT

In this disclosure, an independent stacker is coupled to a packing machine just upstream of it so that each time a parcelling machine stops, the stacker can continue to run normally to deliver pack stacks of cigarettes that are in the storage unit associated with it to eliminate the need of stripping the stacking unit each time the parcelling machine stops. Additionally, each of the packing machines is coupled to intercept the pack stacks and transfer them in its own plurality of boxes during those instances when the parcelling machine stops and to recirculate said stacks when the parcelling machine again starts normal operation.

United States Patent Stancari [451 Aug. 1,1972

[54] CIGARETTE PACKAGING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Franco Stancari, Bologna, Italy [73] Assignee: AMF Incorporated [22] Filed: April 27, 1970 [21] Appl. N0.: 31,962

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 9, 1969 Italy ..70l7 A/69 [52] US. Cl ..53/59 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b 57/10 [58] Field of Search ..53/59, 55

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,532,387 10/1970 Stancari ..302/2 3,537,227 11/1970 Seragnoli ..53/55 Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Att0rneyGeorge W. Price and Eli Weiss [5 7] ABSTRACT In this disclosure, an independent stacker is coupled to a packing machine just upstream of it so that each time a parcelling machine stops, the stacker can continue to run normally to deliver pack stacks of cigarettes that are in the storage unit associated with it to eliminate the need of stripping the stacking unit each time the parcelling machine stops. Additionally, each of the packing machines is coupled to intercept the pack stacks and transfer them in its own plurality of boxes during those instances when the parcelling machine stops and to recirculate said stacks when the parcelling machine again starts normal operation.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures P'A'TENTEBm 1 I972 3.680.280

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INVENTOR, FRANCO STANCARI BY (it ATTORNEY CIGARETTE PACKAGING APPARATUS This invention relates generally to equipment for packaging cigarettes and more particularly to cigarette packing machines coupled to feed a parcelling machine through a stacker where undesired deactivation of the parcelling machine does not require mandatory deactivation of the stacker machine.

Heretofore, it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 713,827 now US. Pat. No. 3,532,387, issued Oct. 6, 1970, for example, to couple a plurality of packing machines to feed, in parallel, a pack parcelling machine through a stacker grouper. Each cigarette packing machine is associated with a unit which stores the packs produced by it, and the outlet of each packing machine is capable of being connected alternately to the inlet of the respective storage unit and to a conveyor for feeding packs to the parcelling machine, while the outlet of the storage unit is connected to the parcelling machine through a second conveyor. Control means are provided which, when'the parcelling machine is inoperative, cause the packs to be fed to the storage unit. When the parcelling machine resumes its operation, the packs are discharged from the storage unit and fed to a second conveyor for delivery to the parcelling machine concurrently with those produced by the packing machine and fed directly to the parcelling machine.

In said US. Pat. No. 3,532,387, each storage unit is associated directly with a packing machine. Single packs are stored in the storage unit while the pack stacking unit is connected to be common to all the cigarette packing machines and is located just upstream of the parcelling machine. Thus, each time that the parcelling machine stops, the stacking unit will also stop.

Although the methods and apparatus described in US. Pat. No. 3,532,387 have proven to be very practical and successful under many conditions and circumstances, certain difficulties have been encountered when the inoperativeness of the parcelling machine required the deactivation of the stacker machine.

In this invention, the above noted difficulty of deactivating the stacker machine each time the parcelling machine becomes inoperative is eliminated by providing the combination of an independent stacker with each packing machine just downstream of it, so that, every time the parcelling machine stops, the stackers can continue to run normally, delivering the pack stacks to a respective storage unit associated with it. More specifically, each of the packing machines is coupled to the parcelling machine with a storage unit being selectively coupled to intercept the pack stacks and retain them in their own plurality of boxes during those instances when the parcelling machine stops and to recirculate said stacks to the parcelling machine when it again starts normal operation.

In the new combination here disclosed, the supplementary connection between each storage unit and the parcelling machine disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,532,387 can be eliminated to provide a device that is economical to build, reliable in operation and simple in design.

According to a further feature of this invention, the packing machines can feed the parcelling machine through a single stacker with which a pack storage unit is associated.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which this disclosure is based can readily be utilized as the basis for the design of other structures for carrying out the several features of the invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a perspective view of the storage unit and the loading and unloading means in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the storage unit and the loading and unloading means;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the storage unit loading and unloading means;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the storage unit and of the loading and unloading means of another embodiment of structure in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, partially in section of the storage unit and the loading and unloading means of the structure of FIG. 4, and;

FIG. 6 illustrates schematically still another embodiment of the structure in accordance with the principles of the invention.

In this invention, a plurality of cigarette packing machines are coupled to feed a single parcelling machine.

The outlet of each packing machine is coupled to feed a stacker having a storage unit which includes suitable pack stack loading and unloading devices.

The following'detailed description refers in particular to the storage unit and its pack stack loading and unloading devices. The other features of the system are disclosed fully both as to construction and operation in US. Pat. application Ser. No. 713,827 and therefore will not be again repeated here. However, it is to be understood that the description of the structure and operation of the structure as recited in said US. application is made a part of the description the same as it would be if said description were actually included herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the loading device of storage unit 8, having movable pockets 7, consists substantially of a feed conveyor 1 which can be of any convenient form such as, a paddle chain type, in combination with a transfer plunger 2 which cooperates with conveyor 1.

The unloading device can comprise an ejector plunger 3 in cooperation with a conveyor 4 which can be, for example, of the superimposed parallel belt type.

The pack stacks P which arrive from the stacker are transferred by the paddle chain conveyor 1 to platform 5 and press against sensing plate 6 this actuates transfer plunger 2 to move forward which, in turn, transfers stacks P to the pocket 7 of storage unit 8 which is level with platform 5. After the transfer, plunger 3 moves the stacks P out of pocket 7 and urges them to move between the superimposed belts of conveyor 4 which feeds the parcelling machine.

Storage unit 8 consists of two parallel endless chains and supports a plurality of box-shaped pockets 7 that are opened on the outer side and at each end and are driven through two horizontally positioned toothed wheels. When the parcelling machine is operating, pocket 7 is positioned level with platform 5 to permit the transfer of stacks P from paddle chain conveyor 1 directly to belt conveyor 4 through a pocket 7.

If the parcelling machine stops, ejector plunger 3 is locked out of the pocket 7 that is to be loaded. After the stacks P have been transferred into the pocket 7 of storage unit 8 by plunger2, the storage unit 8 rotates one pitch from the top downward to bring a new pocket 7 into filling position.

When the parcelling machine resumes normal operation, storage unit 8 begins to unload pack stacks P on conveyor 4, the pack stacks from the storage unit being inserted between the pack stacks P arriving from the stacker. More particularly, plunger 3 operates to push the stacks P out of the pocket 7 with which it is aligned while storage unit 8 continues to remain stationary until a new stack P is transferred into the pocket 7 and immediately thereafter pushed off by plunger 3. Storage unit 8 then rotates one pitch upward to being a new full pocket 7 into a position in which it is unloaded as described above.

The loading and unloading of storage unit 8 on the same conveyor which connects the single packing machine with the parcelling machine results in a device which is simple in design and reliable in operation. Actually, the pack recirculation line between each storage unit and the parcelling machine required in the structure disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,532,387 is not required in the instant arrangement and, therefore, the controls required are less involved.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated another embodiment of the loading and unloading devices of storage unit 8 in accordance with the principles of the invention.

The loading device of storage unit 8 consists substantially of a feed conveyor which can be, for example, of the parallel superimposed belt type, and of a transfer plunger 2 which cooperates with conveyor 1.

The unloading device comprises an ejector plunger and parallel superimposed belt conveyor 9 which cooperates with transfer plunger 14 and paddle chain conveyor 18.

When the parcelling machine is operating, pack stacks X which come from the stacker are transferred by belts 1 onto platform 5 which is provided with stop wall 17.

When stacks X press against sensing plate 6, plunger 2, which transfers stacks X between the pair of parallel superimposed intermediate belt conveyor 10, is enabled to move forward. The conveyor belts l0 urge stacks X into contact with stop wall 11 which is provided with a sensing unit 12. When the stacks X press against the sensing unit 12, the plunger 14 moves forward to transfer stacks X onto guide 13 which is coupled to paddle chain belt conveyor 18.

Conveyor 18 transfers the stacks X to the parcelling machine feeder, consisting, for example, of parallel superimposed belts 19.

If the parcelling machine stops, plunger 14 is locked in its inoperative position and transfer plunger 2 is moved twice the distance of the normal stroke, to transfer the pack stacks X fed by belts 1 onto platform 5 to a pocket 7 of storage unit 8.

Obviously, the motion of plunger 2 is always condi tioned by the stacks X actuating sensing unit 6.

After the transfer of a stack to a pocket 7, storage unit 8 rotates one pitch from the top downward, bringing a new pocket 7 to its filling position.

When the parcelling machine resumes its normal operation, plunger 14 is released and the stroke of plunger 2 is once again normal, that is, pack stacks X coming from the stacker are once again transferred from between belts 10. At the same time, the emptying of storage unit 8 begins. When storage unit 8 is stationary, plunger 15 pushes the stacks Y out of pocket 7 and into the unloading position inserting them between belts 9. The stacks push against wall 116 of notch 16 provided within plunger 14. Through the action of the notch, one of stacks Y, for example Y1, ejected from pocket 7, is transferred on guide 13, together with stacks X coming from the stacker, or contained between belts 10 for each stroke of plunger 14.

Plunger 15, which has retracted after having pushed stacks Y off pocket 7, remains stationary until all of the stacks Y have been transferred onto guide 13.

Storage unit 8 them rotates one pitch from the bottom upward to bring a new full pocket 7 into a position in which it is unloaded as described above.

The feed of the parcelling machine with the stacks coming from the stacker and with those unloaded from storage unit 8, does not require an excessive increase of the speed of operation of the parcelling machine as the emptying of storage unit 8 occurs at the very slow rate of one stack per each group of stacks fed.

The sensing plates 6, l2 and the control circuits of plungers 2, 3, 14, 15 can be of any suitable type.

From the above description, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been illustrated and described, but many changes could be made. Thus, for example, the system in accordance with the principles of the invention as illustrated in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 can comprise a plurality of packing machines I which feed a parcelling machine M through a single device D for forming stacks P with which is associated a storage unit 8 for the temporary storage of stacks P. All this without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for packing cigarettes comprising a packing machine, a pack stacker coupled to said packing machine to stack packs of cigarettes, a parcelling machine coupled to receive a stack of packs of cigarettes from said pack stacker, a pack storage unit interposed between said pack stacker and said parcelling machine, loading means for intercepting the stacks of packs of cigarettes from said pack stacker to feed said pack storage unit when said parcelling machine becomes inoperative and means for feeding the stacks of packs of cigarettes stored in said pack storage unit to the parcelling machine when it resumes operation.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the loading and unloading means comprises a conveyor coupled to feed the pack stacks from the stacker to a loading platform, a first plunger coupled to transfer the pack stacks into a pocket of said storage unit aligned with the platform, a second plunger coupled to push said stacks out of said pocket of said storage unit and a feed conveyor for conveying said stacks pushed out of said pocket to said parcelling machine.

3. The structure of claim 2, further including means for locking said second plunger so as to pemiit a pack stack delivered to a pocket of the storage unit to remain therein and means for driving said storage unit to bring successive pockets into alignment with said loading platform for receiving pack stacks when said parcelling machine is not operating.

4. The structure of claim 3, further including means for feeding pack stacks from said storage unit and said pack stacker alternatively to said parcelling machine when the latter resumes operation.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said storage unit is driven in a first direction while it is being loaded and in a reverse direction which it is being unloaded.

6. The structure of claim 2 wherein said first plunger is urged to move through a first displacement to transfer the pack stacks to an intermediate conveyor when said parcelling machine is operating, and wherein said first plunger is urged to move through a second displacement greater than said first displacement to transfer the pack stacks into a pocket of said storage unit aligned with the platform when said parcelling machine is inoperative.

7. The structure of claim 6 including a third plunger coupled to interpose stacks from said storage unit with stacks from said pack stacker and feed said interposed stacks to said parcelling machine after the parcelling machine has resumed operation.

8. The structure of claim 6 wherein said third plunger includes an offset driving surface. 

1. A device for packing cigarettes comprising a packing machine, a pack stacker coupled to said packing machine to stack packs of cigarettes, a parcelling machine coupled to receive a stack of packs of cigarettes from said pack stacker, a pack storage unit interposed between said pack stacker and said parcelling machine, loading means for intercepting the stacks of packs of cigarettes from said pack stacker to feed said pack storage unit when said parcelling machine becomes inoperative and means for feeding the stacks of packs of cigarettes stored in said pack storage unit to the parcelling machine when it resumes operation.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the loading and unloading means comprises a conveyor coupled to feed the pack stacks from the stacker to a loading platform, a first plunger coupled to transfer the pack stacks into a pocket of said storage unit aligned with the platform, a second plunger coupled to push said stacks out of said pocket of said storage unit and a feed conveyor for conveying said stacks pushed out of said pocket to said parcelling machine.
 3. The structure of claim 2, further including means for locking said second plunger so as to permit a pack stack delivered to a pocket of the storage unit to remain therein and means for driving said storage unit to bring successive pockets into alignment with said loading platform for receiving pack stacks when said parcelling machine is not operating.
 4. The structure of claim 3, further including means for feeding pack stacks from said storage unit and said pack stacker alternatively to said parcelling machine when the latter resumes operation.
 5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said storage unit is driven in a first direction while it is being loaded and in a reverse direction which it is being unloaded.
 6. The structure of claim 2 wherein said first plunger is urged to move through a first displacement to transfer the pack stacks to an intermediate conveyor when said parcelling machine is operating, and wherein said first plunger is urged to move through a second displacement greater than said first displacement to transfer the pack stacks into a pocket of said storage unit aligned with the platform when said parcelling machine is inoperatIve.
 7. The structure of claim 6 including a third plunger coupled to interpose stacks from said storage unit with stacks from said pack stacker and feed said interposed stacks to said parcelling machine after the parcelling machine has resumed operation.
 8. The structure of claim 6 wherein said third plunger includes an offset driving surface. 